White County water billing probe to remain in-houseSEARCY (AP) — Southeast White County Water Association will investigate utility billing issues in-house instead of hiring a certified public accounting firm to do the job. The board will not hire a CPA firm to investigate glitches with RVS Software's billing system concerning credit card payments for sewer collections, even though they voted Feb. 2 to make the hire, The Daily Citizen reported. Attorney Heartsill Ragon said that several CPAs to...

House OKs requiring releasing cellphone locationLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers voted Friday to require cellphone carriers to provide a user's location to police in emergencies, a move that critics said would infringe on civil liberties and could open the door to abuse by law enforcement. The bill approved by the House on a 70-8 vote would require communications carriers to release the information upon request to police so they could respond to a call for emergency services or in an e...

School officials: Coach fired for violating spending rulesNORTH LITTLE ROC (AP) — A football coach has publicly released a termination letter from the North Little Rock School District stating that he failed to follow district rules on how to handle nearly $140,000 in purchases. The letter to coach Brad Bolding admonishes him for the purchase of supplies and equipment made between late August 2013 and January 2014. Officials also reportedly stated Bolding misspent two state grants totaling about $9,0...

Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' diesLOS ANGELES (AP) — In 1975, Leonard Nimoy published an autobiography with the defiant title, "I Am Not Spock." Two decades later, he bowed to fate with "I Am Spock," a revisionist sequel. But for Trekkies and even casual "Star Trek" viewers, Nimoy was always the coolly composed science officer with the pointed ears and an unwavering belief in logic. He played a variety of other stage and screen roles, wrote poetry and pursued photography, but ...

Tiny Missouri town mourns after gunman kills 7, then himselfKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Residents of a small southern Missouri town struggled to come to grips with the knowledge that one of their own had killed seven people in a spasm of violence that ended when the gunman shot himself to death on a rural county road. Joseph Jesse Aldridge, 36, went to four homes in the unincorporated town of Tyrone in Texas County late Thursday, killing relatives and neighbors but sparing two teenagers. He was later found...

Quiz Bowlers prep for state tournamentWhat is the collective name for the first 10 amendments? A sixth-grade Quiz Bowler would quickly recognize the Bill of Rights as the correct answer. Civics, social studies and literature are a few of the subjects the Russellville Middle School sixth-grade team has studied in preparation for its state tournament next week. The group of 10 sixth-graders placed first at the regional meet, which qualified them for the equivalent of a state tournam...

Church briefs (Feb. 27, 2015)Singing at Old Country Church tonight The Old Country Church north of Atkins will host a singing at 6 p.m. tonight. Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information, call Jaime Heflin at (479) 280-0396. Gravel Hill to host Ladies Day Saturday Gravel Hill Church of Christ will host Ladies Day on Saturday. The event will begin at 10 a.m., and lunch will be provided. Betty Choate, a longtime missionary, will be the speaker. She will have a boo...

Alliance providing winter relief to refugees in the Middle EastCOLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Christian and Missionary Alliance (The Alliance) churches and personnel are responding with urgency to the deepening humanitarian crisis in the Middle East. Winter’s bitter temperatures have increased the misery of millions displaced by the ongoing Syrian civil war and Islamic State (ISIS) combatants’ brutal march across Iraq and Syria. ISIS horrors have forced 1.4 million Iraqis to flee to a mountainous region that i...

The gift of potentialOur nation has just celebrated the legacy of a man who recognized that a person’s character is more important than the color of his skin and that all men and women have within themselves potential that could change destinies, regardless of ethnicity, social standing or heredity. What if Dr. King had first never realized his potential, or worse realized it, but because of fear never developed it? Fear of public opinion causes many people to bur...

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Pastor William Flynn / Grace Chapel Pentecostal ChurchThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Commission welcomes new airport managerThe Russellville Airport Commission welcomed Keith Frazier as the regional airport’s new manager during Wednesday’s regular meeting. Mayor Randy Horton introduced Frazier and thanked the commission for its input. Commissioners then introduced themselves to Frazier. Chairman Bob Burris explained the commission’s history, which began in 1959 with an ordinance by the Russellville City Council. Commissioners voted in 2007 to put the airport under ...

Bond makes waves in RHS swimming and academicsMost students crack under pressure. Andrea Bond thrives at the surface. Russellville High School (RHS) junior Andrea Bond accepts the challenge by diving into the deep end. The athletic and academic leader is admired by both the swimming and RHS communities. RHS swim records Bond has broken include the 200-meter freestyle, 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle, which is five of the eight records kept in the girls’ divis...

Obituary: Grace BolinGrace Tripp Bolin, 80, of Hector, beloved mother and sister, passed away Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, at her home. Grace “T” was born in Hector on Aug.2, 1934, to Millus and Ora Lee Tripp, the eighth of 10 children. She was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert Bolin; three brothers, Elvin “Bob” Tripp, Tom Tripp and Millus Tripp; and three sisters, Jean Tripp, Ruth Byford and Betty Witcomb. Grace T is survived by her three children and their s...

Committee reviews draft ordinanceThe committee tasked with creating an ordinance to regulate mobile food vendors in Russellville reviewed a draft ordinance City Attorney Trey Smith prepared and nailed down some details during a meeting Thursday. All present committee members — Alderman Richard Harris, Planning Commissioners Mike Wilkins, Herschell Hargus and Doug Skelton, who is also a Pope County Justice of the Peace — agreed mobile food vendors should be allowed to stay in ...

Learning through magicWorld-renowned illusionist Kevin Spencer visited students at Russellville Middle School and Russellville High School on Thursday and was scheduled to visit Russellville Junior High School and Arkansas Tech University on Friday. Spencer, who is also an educator, researcher, speaker, writer and film producer, said he believes the arts can positively impact the quality of people's lives. He founded the Healing of Magic program and is considered t...

News Briefs (Feb. 27, 2015)Adult Softball League meeting The Russellville Recreation and Parks Department will conduct an organizational meeting for Adult Summer Softball at 6:30 p.m. on Monday at the Hughes Community Center. Anyone interested in entering a team in the summer softball league should have a representative present at this meeting. Registration will begin on Tuesday and ends at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 13. The necessary forms are available in the Russellvill...

Court affirms class-action status in tobacco suitLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas Supreme Court says a lawsuit against tobacco giant Philip Morris USA can proceed under class-action status. The lawsuit seeks refunds on every pack of Marlboro Lights sold in Arkansas from 1971 to 2010. The plaintiffs claim Philip Morris, which is part of the Altria Group, deceived smokers about health risks. The justices' 6-1 decision was released Thursday. The company wants each case considered separately, say...

Lawmaker will propose execution by firing squadLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A lawmaker whose 12-year-old daughter was murdered by a man now on death row said Thursday that she will work to make the firing squad a legal execution method in Arkansas because court challenges have stalled efforts to resume the death penalty using lethal injections. Republican Rep. Rebecca Petty of Rogers said she was spurred to introduce a proposal aimed at resuming executions after a state Senate committee on Wednesday...

House supports health care termination lettersLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Legislators want to send letters to Arkansans enrolled in the state's compromise Medicaid expansion that say the program is ending. Opponents say the letters would be a waste of money. The House voted 60-32 on Thursday in favor of a bill by Republican Rep. Donnie Copeland of Little Rock that would require the state to notify all persons who enroll or re-enroll in Arkansas' "private option" that the program will end on Dec. 3...

Guns on campus measure advances in Arkansas LegislatureLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A bill to force public colleges and universities in Arkansas to allow staff and faculty to bring guns onto campus that was previously defeated found new life Thursday through the support of three Democrats. The bill expands a 2013 law that permitted guns on campus — but allowed universities to opt-out, which all 33 higher education institutions in the state did. The House Education Committee passed the reworked measure by vo...

Internationally famous Phoenix visits RSD choirWorld-renowned singer and clinician Paul Phoenix worked with students and directors in the Russellville School District (RSD) Choral Music Department on Wednesday at the Center for the Arts. A former member of The King’s Singers and current resident of Cambridge, England, Phoenix has traveled across the world to offer choral clinics and has made appearances at many of the best choral music programs in America. As a member of The King’s Singers...